Batman
by Hellshadow
Summary: Just my take on what could happen after Batman Begins.
1. Chapter 1

**Batman**

_This is just a fanfiction idea made about what occurs after Batman Begins_.

Gotham City. Bruce Wayne's hometown. Batman's territory. As Ra's Al Ghul believed, a city that had become nothing more than a breeding ground for suffering and injustice. But Bruce Wayne and Batman disagreed.

Bruce had lost his mother and father when he was young. Joe Chill had shot them in cold blood just to get some cash. It was then that Bruce learned about pain and sorrow. But he changed that. Now his alter ego Batman avenged all innocents by punishing the guilty and the corrupt.

And tonight was no exception. High on the rooftops, Batman kneeled not far from a warehouse. Newly appointed Commissioner Gordon, one of Batman's only true allies, had told him of a warehouse where Carmine Falcone's men supposedly had weapons. Even though Batman had managed to capture Falcone months ago, some of his less faithful cronies decided to start their own smuggling business. Batman understood criminals. Ducard-the _true_ Ra's Al Ghul-had told him. _A criminal is not complicated._ That was the confusing, and terrifying, part of the story. It was one thing for a simple crony to decide to continue his boss's business. It was another for him to be able to do it so well over the course of just a few months. Which told Batman they had someone smart as their leader.

Now it was just a matter of finding out who. He took out his binoculars, which Bruce Wayne had gotten, courtesy of Lucius Fox, who worked in the Applied Sciences division of Wayne Enterprises. After Ra's Al Ghul was defeated, Bruce decided to take over where his father left off. He set Lucius up as a member of the board again, but had allowed Earle to remain part of the group. Earle refused, although he had the decency to be polite about it. Bruce had also formally apologized for his behavior that fateful night that Ra's Al Ghul had come to his house. He told them the memories of the house he lived in had brought up some pent up anger. Most of the people who had been in his house that night believed him. Some did not. But Bruce didn't care.

Batman surveyed the surrounding buildings. Not much cover, but not too many obstacles. Just a few armed guards. He pulled out his grapple gun and fired towards the next building. His cape fluttered behind him as he landed softly on the ground. He watched as the three conversed over a lamppost. He couldn't hear them, but that didn't matter. He put the grapple gun away and took a bat-shuriken out. He whipped his arm out and threw it towards the light. As expected, the three panicked. They split up and cautiously headed away from the building, looking for anything that might be a threat.

Batman switched on the high frequency signal and waited. And he didn't wait long. Soon a faint screeching could be heard, and the moment the guards heard it, their guns were raised. Batman smiled tightly. They were right where he wanted them.

"Hey!" One yelled.

Too late. The bats made their entrance, blanketing the three with wings and noise. And he _moved._ He jumped down, activating his memory cloth and gliding towards them. The moment he was on the ground, he attacked. Once again, Ducard's teachings repeated themselves in his mind.

_Men fear most what they cannot see._

His foot lashed out and struck the first one's knee. He screamed and tried to find his opponent amidst the flying creatures surrounding him. His eyes widened right before the gloved fist struck him in the face.

Not waiting to see if he got up again, Batman continued his attack, slamming his elbow into the next one's stomach, followed by an uppercut to his jaw. He rounded on the last one. He wouldn't hurt him-yet. He quickly grabbed him while changing the frequency of the signal. Now the bats circled them as Batman picked him up.

"Who's supplying your guns?!" He asked, glaring at the man.

His response was a whimper. Batman kneed him in the groin and tried again.

"It's not wise to keep me waiting," he said.

"I don't know who! I swear! We get our orders by phone! We don't get a name!" The guy said, clutching his groin in pain.

"Then how does he keep you in line?"

"He-he sends guys! That's all! But they're vicious, man! We don't do what he wants, they kill us!"

"Is it Crane? Answer me! Scarecrow! Is it him?!" Batman yelled.

"I don't know! Maybe! Like I said, I don't know the dude's name!"

Batman knew he wouldn't get any more out of him. He slammed his head into the man's, knocking him out. Then he tied them up and took out a bat-bomb. Another innovation of Fox's, using Ducard's teachings of ninjutsu. He threw it at the nearest crate, causing it to explode. Now the police would know. He rappelled himself down and ran to the end of the yard. There it waited for him. His custom Tumbler-the Batmobile. Of course, the only reason it was custom was because it was black. It opened up and he climbed in.

He activated stealth mode and drove away before the cops came.


	2. Chapter 2

When Bruce woke up the next morning, a copy of the paper lay on the table by his bed. He smiled and grabbed it. The headline read: CAPED CRUSADER FOILS OVERSEAS SMUGGLING OPERATION by Vicki Vale.

He grinned and put the paper down. The he immediately started his pushups. He heard footsteps coming his and knew it was Alfred.

"Good morning, Alfred. Read the paper?" He asked.

"Indeed I did, sir. Well done, although the owners of the dock are none too pleased with the damage," he said.

"Are they ever?" Bruce asked. It wasn't his fault the criminals of the city used that dock as a staging point.

"You have a meeting at noon with the board members," Alfred continued.

"What time is it?" Bruce asked.

"10:00, sir."

"All right, I'll get ready," he said, drinking the glass of orange juice in a few gulps. Then he got up and started getting dressed.

He arrived at Wayne Enterprises at exactly 9:50. By the time he got upstairs, it was 9:57. At 9:59 he arrived at the designated floor.

"Good morning, Mr. Wayne," his assistant, Jessica, said.

"Morning. Are the board members here yet?" He asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you," he said, smiling.

He walked into the room.

"Good morning, and apologies for taking so long. I slept in," he explained.

The board members chuckled, and Lucius smiled. After that party, Bruce had done as much as he could to make up for his behavior. He started donating money to orphanages and to repair the damage that Batman had caused in his effort to save the city.

"So, what are today's issues, gentlemen?" Bruce asked, sitting down.

"Well, Mr. Harvey Dent is running for mayor, as you heard, and we think that if we back him, it could help the city immensely," Mr. Triste said.

"How so?" Bruce asked.

"He has been a fierce advocate for trying to change Gotham into a safer place. He's already helped you pay for the destruction that Batman caused a while back, by blowing the monorail up."

Inwardly, Bruce seethed. He's blown it up to save Gotham from the Scarecrow's toxin which Ra's Al Ghul unleashed through the city. But he couldn't really blame the people for being afraid of Batman. They didn't know what to make of him. Other than Commissioner Gordon, Rachel Dawes, and the young boy Ralph that Batman had met while hunting Scarecrow, Batman didn't really have many admirers.

"What do you think, Mr. Wayne?" One of the board members asked.

"Well, I haven't had the honor of meeting him myself, but I've heard some good things about him. I don't see a problem with it. Jessica, perhaps you could arrange a meeting with him?" He asked, surprising everyone. He hadn't even looked behind him and yet heard Jessica's approach.

Jessica had already learned of Bruce's skills at hearing. Often times when he looked out the window to view the city, Jessica would walk in quietly and Bruce would hear and say:

"Just put the files on my desk, please."

"Well, gentlemen, is that all?" Bruce asked.

"Uhh, yes, I believe that will be all. This meeting is concluded, gentlemen."

With that, the board members got up and left the room.

"I suggest you work on that, Mr. Wayne," Fox said.

"Yeah, I know. It just comes automatically," Bruce explained.

The two men smiled and left the room.

That night, David Malloy and his boss, Rick Follaire, were discussing their new "business venture." In reality, this meant they were talking about the weapons they would smuggle into the city.

"I just think it's a bit risky, what with this supposed 'batman' out there," David said.

"You worry too much, David. The Batman can't do anything to us. We got guns. And we got over a hundred guys with us. Not even the cops can stop us," Rick answered.

Rick thought himself to be the new Falcone of Gotham City. He had the connections, the business face, the reputation, money, all of it. David was his personal assistant and usually oversaw all the transfers and shipments. He also kept up public appearances so that no one figured out for sure about the true dealings of Mr. Follaire.

"Well, even so…I don't feel good about this, Rick," David answered.

"Come on. Look, we've even got Jackie here," Rick said, pointing to the figure at the desk. Jack Napier. His face wasn't visible because the light was faced down, but the man just kept shuffling his card deck over and over.

"Listen, could you cut that out? It's freaking me out, man. Seriously," David told the hidden man.

The figure did stop for a moment and tilted his head.

"So what if the bat shows? We'll squash him like the rodent he is."

The man had a rather sinister, though not quite nasal, tone.

"But first, we'll have a little fun with him," he added, a joker card in his gloved hand.

"I dunno, Mr. Napier. It could be bad."

"Don't call me that! Jack Napier is dead! You hear me? I'm the JOKER!" The figure yelled, finger pointing at the man.

At that moment, Batman himself was in that part of the neighborhood. He looked down and jumped to the next roof.

This was it. Batman approached a window carefully and opened it. He could hear voices downstairs. Two were somewhat quiet, while the other was screaming like a madman. He cautiously made his way downstairs and took out his binoculars. He zoomed in. Two men, and a third in the shadows, hidden. He seemed to be the one making all the noise. Batman grimaced. He didn't know if the guy was just being loud, or if he really was dangerous. That's what the bad news is with this business. It's difficult to tell psycho from fake, sometimes.

He didn't chance moving in. No telling what they had up their sleeves. But he had to do something.

"Well, gentlemen, I'm afraid you've put me in a bad mood," the "joker" said, standing. The two men backed up.

"I've warned you time and again not to call me 'Jack', or 'Mr. Napier', or 'Jack Napier', but you still don't listen," he said, pulling out a Colt.

He squeezed the trigger once, and-

POP!

A flag came out of the gun.

Joker looked at it as if it was the first time this happened.

"Well, lookie, lookie, boys. I brought the wrong gun. Hehehehe."

The two men laughed nervously.

"Oh, come on. You can do better than that. Big laugh, that's it! COME ON! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Joker started laughing intensely, and the two joined in.

"IT'S NOTHING TO LAUGH ABOUT!" Joker screamed, shooting them with his real Colt, which he'd pulled out of his left jacket pocket. The two fell on each other, dead.

"Now THAT'S funny," Joker said, nodding at the now deceased crooks.

He put on his hat and left, right after he dropped a Joker card on the two men.

Batman jumped in just as the door closed. He didn't want to move after the Joker yet. He checked the two men and activated his com, picking up the cards.

"Alfred?" He asked.

"_Right here, sir. Problem?"_

"I got two dead guys at a factory near the docks. I'm switching on my transponder beacon now. Call Gordon, tell him where I am."

"_Sir, you want me to call the Commissioner and tell him where batman is?"_

"No. Just dial the number 183. I set it up. It'll tell Gordon where the site is based on the beacon's position," Bruce explained.

"_Understood. Good luck, master Bruce."_

With that, Alfred hung up.

Batman waited until the police arrived. When Jim Gordon, commissioner of Gotham PD arrived, Batman made his entrance. He stepped out of the warehouse, hands up. While Gordon trusted him, the rest of the police didn't know what to make of him. He recognized Jim Flass, who had been a crooked cop under Falcone's thumb. He smiled and waved at him, earning a glare from Flass.

Gordon walked up to him, motioning for the others to lower their guns.

"Well?" Jim asked.

"You'll find two men in the factory dead. Someone calling himself the Joker. They mentioned his real name, a Jack Napier, and he got pissed. He seems to enjoy playing practical jokes on people, even his own."

"What do you mean?" Gordon asked.

"Well, after they said his name, he pulled out a toy gun. Then he laughed with them and shot them with a real gun, possibly a Colt. He took it with him. If you don't mind, Commissioner, I'll need one of the two cards," Batman said.

"What for?"

"An analysis. I'll see if anything turns up. If I don't turn anything up, I'll send the card back addressed to you. Anything I do find, I'll be sure to get you a copy, or the real data, depending."

"Depending on what?" Jim asked.

"On whether it happens to be dangerous to your health or not," the Batman replied.

"How long do you need?"

"48 hours, tops. Can you hold on for that long?"

"If this guy can stay quiet for that long, sure. But then what do we have, other than the two dead guys?'

Batman pulled out two audiotapes.

"One for you, the other for me."

"How do you manage to keep yourself hidden while taping a conversation?" Gordon mused.

"I'll tell you someday," Batman replied, handing him one of the tapes.

"Right now, I have to go to work. Think your boys can take this shift? I'll need some time with this," he continued, referring to the tape.

"Sure. Thanks a lot."

With that, Batman turned around and pulled his grapple gun. He fired it up high at a beam and was pulled up.

The police all just stared at him.

"Is he an informant of ours, sir?" One asked.

"In a way. He's just a more direct version of us. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have found out about this for another week. Let's get the tape to a lab for analysis. Seal off the crime scene, dust for prints, you know the routine," Gordon said, in control of the situation.

Gordon would have loved to think that Batman had it easy, but he knew that wasn't the case. After all, he'd come up with an antidote for the Scarecrow's toxins in rather short order.


	3. Chapter 3

**1 week after the events in chapter 2**

In his lair, which was just a few buildings away from Wayne Tower itself, the Joker was staring at the ceiling, flipping his card deck from one hand to the other.

"Boss, are we gonna do anything or ain't we?" One of his men asked.

"You know, there's a thing called patience. You might try usin' it," Joker replied, sounding bored.

"Jokesie, I'm back!" A female voice cried.

"Puddin', where the hell have you been?" Joker asked, rushing towards her. "For cryin' out loud, I was just three seconds away from blowin' a hole in my own head," he said, suddenly looking like a lost puppy."

"Relax, sug. I was just getting your essentials. Here's your toys," Harley Quinn answered, dumping out the contents of her Santa Claus sized bag. A collection of guns, grenades, and rifles clattered to the ground.

"Oops. Sorry, Jokesie," she said, shrinking to the ground.

"It's all right, boo," he said.

"Geez, at least my guy's can do things right," the crony said.

Joker suddenly frowned and looked at him like a drunk.

"Tell me somethin', boyo," he said, standing straight. "Have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?"

The man just frowned in confusion. Joker sighed and nodded to Harley. She pulled out a pistol and shot the man right in the head. Unfortunately, she wasn't built to fire powerful guns, so she fell backwards. Joker caught her.

"Listen, toots, if you're gonna be shootin' my boys for me, then you gotta learn how to handle a gun. But first-"he broke off, grabbing the a copy of the Gotham Times.

"We have a party to crash."

Meanwhile, the city was having a Gotham City parade, celebrating its all-time-low crime spree. Of course, the guest of honor-Batman himself-was nowhere to be seen. Commissioner Gordon sighed. He had hoped Batman would appear, but apparently he had other plans.

Bruce Wayne, on the other hand, had just arrived in a Rolls Royce driven by Alfred. Waiting for him were Mr. Earle and Lucius Fox.

"Mr. Earle. How have you been? Come to ask me for a job?" Bruce asked jokingly, shaking his hand.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Bruce. I'm just here for the parade. But I did see the article on Wayne Enterprises. Well done. Your father would be proud. And the way you handled the media after your behavior that day, and your home burning…very commendable."

"Actually, Earle here was using some pretty similar words to explain just that. He said 'Well, I had nothing better to do, so I showed up for the parade,'" Fox said.

"Excuse me, excuse me," a voice carried and then Bruce jerked forward as someone bumped into him a little too hard.

"Excuse me, but perhaps you should watch where you're-"Bruce stopped and looked at the woman. She wore glasses and had curled blonde hair. She wore a business outfit and seemed very self-conscious. And she was carrying a lot of bags filled with journals.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-"

Bruce stopped her.

"No, no. I'm sorry for being so rude. Do you need some help with those?" He asked.

"Oh, no. I'm fine."

He smiled, nodded, and held his hand out.

"Bruce Wayne," he introduced himself.

Her jaw dropped and she must have stood there for a good minute because Bruce was suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and adjusted his tie, while Fox and Earle left, Fox smiling mysteriously.

"Vicki Vale, Mr. Wayne," she said, suddenly blushing.

"No. The same Vicky Vale who writes the stories about the Batman?" Bruce feigned surprise. In truth, he had known who she was for some time. She'd actually managed to get photos of him quite a few times. And not the far away shots of him leaving a scene.

She nodded.

"The very same," she answered.

"Well, listen, I'd like to-"

He was suddenly interrupted by a trumpet and drums. He turned around and saw the man who was probably the Joker. On top of a large float, a woman dressed as a jester started talking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the amazing….the gallant…the handsome…JOKER!" She yelled, breaking into a dance. From behind her came a man dressed in a purple suit. His face was white and he had a blood red grin on it. He threw his hands up in the air.

"Hello, ladies and gents of Gotham! I decided that this place needed a whole lot more cheer, so I came to help with the festivities! So let's party!" He yelled and started laughing, fireworks going out. But these weren't ordinary fireworks. They hit cars and they blew up. Street lamps fell. And Bruce just stood there, as if nothing was wrong. Vicki just kept taking pictures of the Joker until one of his men grabbed her. He prepared to hit her when Joker himself intervened.

"What, were you raised in a barn? That's no way to treat a lady," he said, taking her away.

"My humble apologies," he continued, mock-bowing to her. "And who you might you be, mademoiselle?"

"V-Vicki Vale," she said, more than a bit frightened now.

Bruce was coming up behind them and two thugs grabbed him. Joker turned around.

"And who is this knight in shining armor?" He asked, smirking.

"Bruce Wayne," Bruce answered.

Joker's eyebrows went up.

"Bruce Wayne? THE Bruce Wayne? Really?" He asked, looking Bruce over head to toe.

"You're not what I expected at all," he continued, frowning. "You seem too…oh, what's the word? Stiff, that's it. A guy like Wayne would know how to throw a party."

"Well, I like to keep things as calm as possible," Bruce explained.

"That's too bad. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy," Joker replied.

"Listen. You don't have to do all the gung-ho stuff," Bruce said. "We both know you have what it takes. I mean, be realistic. Even with the police here….it's not your style. Go home, watch some football. Maybe you should see if the circus is still in town, you know?"

The Joker suddenly snarled and hit Bruce right in the face. Bruce fell to one knee, gasping as his nose bled.

"Now I don't feel like playing anymore. Let's go, boys! We're going home!" Joker cried out. Harley suddenly appeared and pressed a gun to Bruce's head.

"No one tells my Jokesie what to do!" She cried.

"NO!" Vicki yelled, rushing to Bruce.

"CEASE FIRE!" Joker cried, grabbing Harley's arm just as the gun went off. Bruce fell, clutching his ears. The bullet didn't even hit him, though.

"But, baby-" Harley whimpered.

"Let's get one thing straight here, toots. I don't give the word, you don't fire."

Then Joker looked at Vicki.

"Au revoir, my dear," he said, smiling. "Perhaps we'll meet once again."

Then he left with his men, whistling Old McDonald.

"Bruce, are you all right?" Vicki asked, helping him up.

"Yes, I'm fine," Bruce answered, wiping the blood off his mouth.

"Master Wayne! What happened?" Alfred appeared out of nowhere, grabbing his arm so Bruce wouldn't fall.

"Just what'd you expect, Alfred. I bit off more than I could chew," Bruce said, smiling.

"Well, you have got to learn to eat smaller helpings, then," Alfred replied.

"Hold on," Bruce said, turning to Vicki.

"I'm sorry things got out of hand. Would you like to come over to the mansion later, or perhaps tomorrow? I'd still like to talk to you about your photos."

"Well…I mean, what about the joker?" Vicki asked, not believing how Bruce was acting. He had just been hit by a psychopath, and had a gun pressed to his skull, and yet he was acting as if there was nothing wrong.

"What about him? If he makes a reservation, he'll be able to come over too."

Vicki's eyes widened.

"That was a bad joke," Bruce said.

"Quite so, sir," Alfred supplied.

Bruce looked at him and motioned for him to get the car. Despite the situation, Vicki giggled.

"I'd love to come over."

Bruce looked at her, mildly surprised. Then he smiled.

"All right. Alfred will pick you up tonight."

"I live at-" Vicki began.

"You live just west of Arkham Asylum, by the river. House number 2900. Right?" Bruce asked.

"How did you-"

"Oh, your address was in some article about you, and I _am_ quite interested in your work," Bruce replied, smiling.

Vicki nodded.

"All right. I guess I'll see you later tonight, Mr. Wayne," she said and walked away. Bruce sighed. He really had cut it close. He was going to have to learn how to restrain his public self in the presence of criminals.

He walked back to Alfred and headed home.


	4. Chapter 4

Night had again descended upon Gotham. The Dark Knight stood on the ledge of a building, scanning his territory.

_"Sir?" _Alfred's voice crackled over the comm.

"Go ahead, Alfred."

_"Police scanners indicate that the Joker is currently robbing the Gotham City Metropolitan Bank."_

"Thanks, Alfred," Batman said, already walking to the other side of the building. He jumped down and fell straight to the ground, from the nearly hundred-story building. He waited till he reached twenty-five before he activated his memory cloth cape. The cape billowed out and he gracefully landed on the ground without a sound. He could already see the Bank. There was an armored truck with a large clown face on the top.

_Original_, Batman thought. _Usually they wear the clown masks, not drive them._

He cautiously made his way towards the building and then climbed to the second floor. There were two of them outside guarding the door. He took out his smoke bomb and launched it at the door.

"Hey, what the-?" One said.

The two kicked the door open and walked in, armed. One had a standard issue Beretta 92 SD, while the other had a Tommy gun.

"What's with the smoke?"

"I dunno," the other said, getting impatient.

"Think it's _him?_"

"Man, just cuz the Bat's caused us misery, it don't mean he's done everything."

Batman quietly rose behind them. They never even noticed him. He grabbed the closest one and spun him around, his fist connecting with the guy's masked face. The other, holding the Tommy gun, aimed it and fired. The rounds struck him, and Batman lurched and moved back, but he didn't go down. The gun jammed and the thug hurriedly tried to fix it.

"Come on, come on," he said. Then he looked up. Batman's masked skull hit his and he went down hard.

"Okay, bats, let's see how good you are."

It was the first thug, brandishing both a knife and a bloody nose. His mask was on the ground, broken. He lunged, but Batman caught the arm with ease. He twisted it and the guy screamed.

"Please don't kill me," he whimpered, tears in his eyes. He looked at Batman, sobbing. Batman grabbed him and slammed him into a nearby railing.

_Clap, clap, clap._

Batman whirled, looking up. There stood the Joker, with his white face, that blood red grin, and a green suit.

"Well played, batsy," He said, walking down calmly while drawing a gun. He pulled the trigger, and Batman flinched at the same time a small flag popped out of the barrel. Joke looked at the gun incredulously and sighed, shaking his head.

"Okay!" He proclaimed. "Take me, bats. I'm all your, but before that, truce?"

He held out a gloved hand, and Batman looked at it for a few seconds before looking at Joker.

"You're going to Arkham," he replied, grabbing his hand.

Joker smiled as Batman started shaking suddenly.

"HAHAHA! How dumb can you get?" He asked as Batman dropped to his knees, groaning.

"Boo, would you do the honors?" Joker asked.

"Sure, sweetie," a young, female voice said from behind Batman. Then something hit him on the back of the head, and he was out.

Joker sighed as his boys hauled Batman away. One of the goons tried to take the mask off, but Joker stopped him.

"No, no, no," he scolded the man. "Look at this face," Joker said, grabbing Batman's chin. "We don't want to ruin an average man's face. This is Batman. _The _Batman. He should die a hero's death."

He suddenly stood erect, and threw a mock salute.

"He was a good man," Joker said, using a cheesy British voice. "A Batman. He flew over the skies and dumped guano all over Gotham. Even got me a few times. But it appears, once again, that _I_ get the last laugh."

He finished up and broke out laughing as they hauled him away.

"OH! I haven't laughed that hard in ages," he said to Harley, leaning back and wiping his brow.

His walkie-talkie suddenly crackled.

_"Boss?"_

"This better be important," he said, boredom in his voice.

_"We found the Bat's car."_

Joke shot up, almost hitting Kitty in the face.

"Where?"

_"The back alley."_

Joker smiled.

"I'll be right there. Come on, boo. Time for some _fun."_

The two thugs chained Batman up and prepared to throw him over.

"Shouldn't we at least take his suit? I mean, if we have the Bat's suit…"

"You kiddin'? If we took that, boss would take it for himself. He already looks like shit, and with _this_…"

He shook his head in disgust.

"He'd think he was some kind of superhero."

"Okay," the other relented and prepared to throw Batman. But apparently, Batman had other ideas. The moment he woke, he spun, and the two jumped away.

"JESUS!"

"What the hell?!"

Batman took advantage of their surprise and twisted his body until the chains neatly fell off. Another one of Bruce Wayne's twisted hobbies. But it helped him hone his skills. The closest one grabbed the chain Batman had just wiggled out of, and pulled as hard as he can. Batman jumped, the chain sliding under his feet without hitting them. The thug wasn't finished. He threw the chain, and Batman brought his right hand and grabbed it, forming a fist. Then he _pulled hard_, and thug flew at him. Batman calmly stepped to the side and watched the man fall into Gotham Harbor.

"I can't swim!" The guy screamed, thrashing in the water like a madman.

"Should've thought about that beforehand," the Batman said quietly. The other one grabbed a 2x4 and swung it, hoping to knock Batman himself over the edge. But Batman ducked and the man lost his balance, spinning wildly on one foot.

"Help me! Help me!!" The man teetered on the edge and Batman pulled him away.

"Thanks," the guy said. Batman grabbed his head and slammed it into the railing. He turned around and raced towards his car. He suddenly realized that if Joker wasn't here, he must have gone to his car.

And the devious jokester did.

Joker trotted over to the Batmobile, whistling.

"Oh, batty-boy, what will you do without your toy?" He asked, throwing a couple of bombs around it.

"HA! I should have been a poet," he said. Then he put his hands together and cried out:

"Romeo! Romeo! Wherefore art thou, Romeo?! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

He jogged away from the vehicle, laughing in a high-pitched tone. Then the car exploded.

Batman landed, too late to stop Joker or save his car.

Mr. Fox would not be pleased.

And he wasn't.

The next day, Bruce walked into the large room that was Lucius's playground. It was empty.

"Come to explain why my prized possession is now a burning piece of wreckage, Mr. Wayne?" A voice came from behind.

Bruce turned around, smiling.

"Did someone pass around more weaponized hallucinogens? Did you think that vehicle was some kind of monster?" Despite his stern expression, Bruce knew Lucius wasn't really mad. He had been good friends with his father, after all.

"Well, you know how it is, Mr. Fox. At night, things _are _harder to see," Bruce said.

"I'm sure. Now, follow me. At least that contraption proved useful," he said.

"That, it was, Mr. Fox. It was also my one and only means of transportation," Bruce added.

"Are you saying the legendary Bruce Wayne of Wayne Enterprises only had _one _car?" Lucius feigned surprise.

"Only one that was special," Bruce answered.

"I'm touched. Here we are," Lucius said, pointing to a storage hold. He pulled it out, revealing what appeared to be a more advanced version of his Nomex survival suit, which had become the batsuit. And it already had the bat symbol on it, within a yellow oval.

"So, what's this one have?" Bruce asked.

"Still the same properties as the old one. Tear-resistant, waterproof-"

"So how is it better?" Bruce interrupted.

"I was getting to that. The armor is a bit thicker than the one you're used to. So it can now be considered fully bulletproof," Fox explained.

"How about mobility?" Bruce wondered.

"A little harder. You might have to work at that before you try it out, but knowing you, you'll learn the hard way," Fox said.

They both smiled at that.

"On to better things. Since many of your recent nightly ventures have included harbors and docks, I though it would be best if you had better transportation," Fox said, walking towards what appeared to be the largest indoor swimming pool Wayne had ever seen.

"Pool parties are not allowed inside the building, Mr. Fox," Wayne said.

"Why? Sometimes even I have to kick back, Mr. Wayne," Fox replied.

There at the end of it, was what Bruce surmised to be his next "gift."

"Advanced hydro-reconnaissance patrol boat. It's fast and lightly armored, but has some pretty good countermeasures. First off, active camouflage."

With that, the boat seemed to shimmer lightly and soon disappeared from view. A while later, it reappeared. Wayne looked at Fox, who was smiling and waving a small transponder. He tossed it to Bruce.

"In addition to that, there's another function you might like," he said, getting into the watercraft. After hitting some buttons, he looked at Wayne.

"Touch it," he said.

Bruce cautiously stretched out his hand and touched it. He immediately jumped back after he received an electromagnetic shock.

"You're right, I like it," Bruce said. "But now I can't feel my fingers."

"Ehh, it'll last a while. Prolonged contact with that when it's on can be rather hazardous to one's health," Fox said.

"What about my car?" Bruce asked, rubbing his fingers.

"After your news debut with the Tumbler, I thought a more nimble vehicle was in order. So here it is."

He flipped a switch, and a barrage of lights struck the ground, illuminating the vehicle. It was long, sleek, resembling a Corvette.

"The defense for this car is a bit different. Watch," Fox said. He pulled out a key and pressed it. Suddenly, the car seemed to cocoon itself in a shroud of armor. It wrapped around the car and blipped when it finished.

"Bulletproof, fireproof, it can even withstand rockets and other projectile weapons. Graffiti is another matter, so I advise watching where you park it. However, here are some offensive weapons," Fox stated.

He punched another button and two machineguns slid out at the front.

"These should come in handy. Also, should you feel the need to slam through concrete objects…"

He keyed another button and rocket launchers opened up on the sides. And behind them were what appeared to be tow cable launchers.

"What are those for?" Bruce asked.

"The ones on the sides can help you maneuver through rather difficult turns. The main tow cable up front can be used to pull you out of ravines and such, or of course, to attach to the rear bumper of another vehicle. The rear one can be applied for the same reasons."

"No other defenses?"

"Honestly, I didn't have time. If you clean up this mess quickly, maybe I can work something out," Fox said.

Bruce nodded.

"Then I better get to work. Thank you, Mr. Fox. Keep up the good work," he said, shaking his hand.

"They'll be delivered to your address tonight," Fox said.

"But what about the reporters?"

"I'll handle them. Along with the equipment, I'll send over other supplies you can give to charity," Fox answered, smiling. Bruce nodded. Fox knew that Bruce was Batman, but what separated him from Alfred was that Alfred knew from the start, while Fox learned through the news. How time and time again, the Batman used equipment that Lucius had given to the heir of Thomas Wayne's business empire. Of course, Bruce had been warned by Fox to not think of him as an idiot. And Bruce didn't.

If anything, Bruce respected him. Lucius could do something he couldn't-build the things he could. Bruce walked out of the large room to prepare for his nightly run.

In the batcave, at 10 in the middle of the night, Bruce Wayne trained his body and senses for the following night. While he had a mode of transportation, he hadn't yet used the new suit, so he donned it and trained. Besides, Batman wasn't of any use to Gotham anyway if he was dead.

He threw a punch at his test dummy and watched it topple to the ground again.

"Perhaps a break would do, Master Bruce," Alfred said, setting a tray down.

"In a minute, Alfred. This new suit is heavier, and it's tougher throwing a single punch," Bruce said, setting the test dummy in place.

Alfred walked over to the newly-added control center designed for Batman. Wayne Enterprises had recently installed it, after certain people found out that young Bruce was the Batman. Of course, it wasn't widely known, but Fox had pointed to employees and board members who would take the news in a good way.

"Master Wayne, I think you should see this," Alfred said.

The command center was basically a typical office, only it was equipped not with pencils and papers, but with video monitors, computers, audio surveillance, radar, sonar, everything the Batman needed to take care of Gotham City.

Alfred hit a control, and all the screens were filled with the Joker's grinning, maniacal face.

"Hello, fair citizens of Gotham City. I am the Joker. And I am here to lighten up your daily lives, which seem to be…boring and meaningless. And I am also here to give a message to the so-called Batman, your protector, your guardian devil, so to speak," he began.


	5. Chapter 5

Bruce started homing in on the signal. He only hoped Joker stayed on long enough for him to pull up the location.

"Bats, you put up a hell of a fight. I applaud your heroic actions, but enough is enough. I already turned your black batcar into scrap, so give it up before _you _get hurt, or worse-"

He suddenly went off-camera for a moment. Then he pooped back, holding a tied-up Vicki Vale.

"Before your fans do. I'd hate to hurt her. I mean, she takes such wonderful pictures of you, it'd be a shame. So come on down to City Hall. We'll be waiting for you."

The screen went blank.

"Alfred, cancel my appointments for tonight," Bruce said, going to his changing room. He grabbed the sandwich and ate it quickly, then downed the glasses of milk and orange juice.

"Yes, sir," Alfred said, picking the tray up and taking it upstairs.

15 minutes later, the new, sleek Batmobile tore through the waterfall and proceeded towards Gotham.

Joker was sitting in front of Vicki, while one of his goons served champagne. Vicki was visibly flustered, though not terrified. Joker simply stared at her, his blood-red grin making it seem as if he was thinking the worst.

"I have something here for you, my dear," he began, reaching into his suit. Vicki recoiled, wondering if he was going to shoot her. He pulled out a rose.

"Pretty, ain't it?" He asked.

Vicki stayed silent, gulping. Joker opened a file n front of her. Her file, which she'd readied for Bruce Wayne.

"Oh, my. You have a good eye, toots," Joker said, going through her photos. Joker pulled up a picture of Batman, getting ready to shoot a grappling hook towards a building.

"Bleah," Joker made a face, as if he'd just caught a whiff of something nasty.

"What's a grown man doing, wearing tights and uncomfortable leather? And yet you people seem fascinated by him. Fascinated by a flying rodent."

Joker tsked and leaned forward. Vicky noticed Harley behind him, and was surprised by her. Wearing a jester outfit, with black and white makeup on her face, Harley walked up to Joker, wrapping her arms around him.

"Jokesie, when are we gonna do something fun?" She groaned.

Joker groaned and pulled her arms off him.

"Not now, toots. I've got a guest," Joker said, trying to control himself. Harley had interrupted his little conversation, irking him. Harley sniffed and walked away.

"She better not try anything funny."

Joker looked at Vicky and sighed.

"You'll have to excuse the missus. She's somewhat protective of me. I don't know why," Joker said, shrugging his shoulders. "Don't you love these guys?"

He was watching the television, specifically a live acrobatics show as part of a carnival.

"Ah, gotta love those Graysons. That Dick Grayson is the kind of guy Bats should employ. At least then, he'll have somebody for comedy relief," he said.

"Hey, boss, I think you should know-"

The man stopped, noticing that Joker had pulled out a revolver with a _very _long barrel.

"Toby, didn't anyone ever teach you to come in announced?" He asked, aiming the gun at him.

The thug backed up, hands raised.

"Y-yes , sir. I-I'm sorry, sir, but-"

"Toby," Joker interrupted.

"Yeah?"

"BANG!"

The gun went off, and Vicki screamed, but instead of a gunshot, a little red flag popped out. Joker pulled the gun back, looking at him.

"See what happens when you interrupt? I get angry. You don't wanna see me angry, do you?" Joker asked, shaking his head.

"N-no."

"Good," Joker said, nodding. Then he raised the gun and pulled the trigger again. This time, the gun fired a real bullet, hitting Toby in the chest. Toby dropped to the floor, blood pooling around him.

Vicki trembled as Joker calmly put the gun down and drank some champagne.

"Oh, now, calm down. It's nothing _that _exciting," Joker said, scoffing.

By now, Batman was at the site, or at least near it. He pulled out his binoculars and took a look.

"No one out front. Odd," he muttered to himself. He looked up, noticing the glass roof.

_Probably my best entry_, he thought. He pulled out his grapping gun and fired. Two hooks fired simultaneously, one aimed at the building, the other behind him. Both hit concrete and stuck. Batman pulled the butt of the gadget down, extending it. He held it with both hands, then pushed off.

"Well, honey, it's been a lovely evening," Joker said, helping Vicky up. She saw Harley toying with a gun, and didn't want to know if that gun was meant to be used on her.

Suddenly, a crash was heard above them. Everyone looked up to see Batman do his grand entrance.

"And I thought I had style," Joker muttered. "Sammy, Julio."

Batman landed right in front of Joker, looking unhappy.

"Enter the Bat!" Joker said, acting like an announcer for a fight. "Honestly, Bats, I didn't think you'd have the guts to come here. I applaud you. Really."

He clapped his hands twice. Two thugs jumped in, catching Batman off guard. He groaned and fell back as they kicked him in the face. Joker suddenly squinted, noticing something new about his adversary.

"Back the rodent truck up, bats! New threads? Hmmm. I'd love to meet your tailor," he said, nodding approvingly, all the while holding Vicky by the arm.

Batman ducked and dodged the lethal cronies.

_They're no amateurs at this,_ he thought. The taller one suddenly pulled out two swords, twirling them. His partner took advantage of the situation and grabbed Batman from behind.

With a yell, the sword-holding criminal swung both blades, aiming them at his throat. Batman slashed at his captor's legs with the scallops attached to his suit's forearm gauntlets. The crony screamed and Batman pushed him away, facing the larger threat.

He brought his arms up, the blades striking the scallops, producing slight sparks. Batman slowly backed up, all the while blocking the furious strikes. Then he grabbed the guy's left arm and pulled. He gripped the sword and yanked it from the man.

Joker whistled, watching the fight as it was a spectacle.

"Go, bats! Oh, sorry," he said, looking apologetically at his henchman.

The two swung, blades meeting at the center. Batman thrust, knowing that such an attack was a useless effort against the man. His blade was batted away, and Batman suddenly jumped back, parrying three deadly strikes aimed at his waist. He grunted as the blade managed to hit the shoulder, though he did so more from surprise than pain.

_Idiot. Ra's isn't the only one that can hurt you, and you haven't met many that are worse than him…yet, _Batman chided himself. He brought his arms up, the blade coming down at his head.

As with Ra's, the sword stuck itself between the scallops, and Batman pulled his arms apart, the sword breaking into two. Before the man could realize what had happened, Batman spun, his left foot striking his neck. The figure fell silently.

The shorter guy finally attacked, tackling Batman. The two fell, wrestling for control. The man started slamming his fists into Batman's sides, but with the thicker armor, and from this close range, the attack did little more than annoy Batman.

The man's left arm was grabbed, and Batman twisted, snapping the wrist. The scumbag screamed, and Batman headbutted him. He got up and leaped onto one of the tables. Harley opened fire, catching Batman right in the chest.

"Bull's eye!" Joker cackled. "This is better than cable."

Batman didn't seem fazed by the .45 slug at all.

"Uh, Jokesie?" She asked, firing again. Harley aimed at his face this face, and pulled the trigger one more time. Batman disappeared, and smoke suddenly filled the space he'd just occupied.

"What the-?" Harley asked, backing up.

"Hmmm, looks like we've got a magician," Joker said, pulling out his own gun. Harley glanced behind her, wondering what to do.

She screamed and ducked as a wire fired past her head, embedding itself in the wall. Batman flew out of the smoke, holding onto the grappling gun. Vicki was right in front of him, and he grabbed her effortlessly, gliding away with her screaming her head off.

"Wow. The man certainly knows how to jazz things up. Klaus!" Joker yelled, heading for the door.

Outside, Batman finally landed with Vicki. He pulled out a comm unit.

"Activate."

A few blocks away, his new Batmobile roared to life and immediately headed for Batman's beacon. The hot rod from hell tore through the streets, narrowly missing the cars that were on the road. Its afterburner turned on, now outdoing the police cruisers that were filling the tight roads.

Batman calmly stood in the middle of the road as it headed straight towards him.

"Stop."

The tires squealed as the emergency brake was pulled.

"Get in," he said to Vicky.

Two vans suddenly appeared behind them, the occupants firing their weapons. The bullets harmlessly bounced off the armor. Vicky screamed as Batman maneuvered his vehicle through the city.

Back in the vans, Joker was once again surprised at Batman's equipment.

"Now that is a good looking car he's got. Wonder what his insurance for that thing is," he said to the driver, earning a grin.

The two behind him opened their windows and fired their pistols. Batman noticed the tight turn up ahead, and hit a button on his left. The car fired a grappling hook from under its belly, the end of it catching a lamppost. The Batmobile's tires squealed as it made a nearly impossible turn. Behind him, the vans tried to follow him, but instead slammed into the walls.

Inside the lead van, Joker glared at his driver.

"Didn't you go to driving school? The object of the game is to stay on the road, not slam into the walls!" He yelled, getting out.

The Batmobile was now out of Gotham, heading for the forest. Vicki stole a glance at Batman, trying to see if she could recognize him. Batman noticed, and turned on a small light in front of her.

"Better?" He asked, the light causing it to shield her eyes.

_That was close._

Vicky screamed as she saw the waterfall. And the chasm between it and the path they were on.

Batman hit the thruster, and the car leaped over the wide hole. The car stopped and Batman looked at her. She'd passed out.

"Brilliant," he muttered, then got out.


End file.
